Filtration media packs produced using additive manufacturing

ABSTRACT

A method for manufacturing a filter medium includes providing a computer-readable three-dimensional model of the filter medium including a plurality of segments, each segment of the three-dimensional model being configured to be converted into a plurality of slices that each define a cross-sectional layer of the filter medium, each segment including an undulating layer extending along a predetermined direction that is different than the predetermined direction of the undulating layer of the other segment; and successively forming each layer of the filter medium by additive manufacturing.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to filters and breathers used to removecontaminants various fluids such as hydraulic fluid, air filtration,oil, and fuel, etc. used to power the mechanisms and engines of earthmoving, construction and mining equipment and the like (e.g. automotive,agriculture, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning),locomotive, marine, exhaust treatment or any other industry wherefilters and breathers are useful). Specifically, the present disclosurerelates to filters that are manufactured using 3D printing technology,allowing more complex geometry to be used in the filter.

BACKGROUND

Earth moving, construction and mining equipment and the like often usefilters and/or breathers used to remove contaminants various fluids suchas hydraulic fluid, oil, and fuel, etc. used to power the mechanisms andengines of the equipment. Over time, contaminants collect in the fluidthat may be detrimental to the components of the various mechanisms(e.g. hydraulic cylinders) and the engines, necessitating repair. Thegoal of the filters and/or breathers to remove the contaminants in thevarious fluids to prolong the useful life of these components. Anyindustry using filters and/or breathers may also need to removecontaminants from hydraulic fluid, air, oil, and fuel, etc. Examples ofthese other industries, include but are not limited to, automotive,agriculture, HVAC, locomotive, marine, exhaust treatment, etc.

The features and geometry employed by such filters is limited by themanufacturing techniques available to make the filters and theirassociated filter media. The technologies typically used include foldingporous fabric or other materials that remove the contaminants. Typicaladditive manufacture is structured around creating parts which are solidas opposed to being porous. As a result, generating a filtration mediaof a useable grade that can be integrated into printed parts or used ina media pack is not within the standard capability of current additivetechnologies such as FDM (fused deposition modeling), FFF (fusedfilament fabrication), SLA (stereolithography), etc.

For example, U.S. Pat. Application Publication No. 2016/0287048 A1 toThiyagarajan et al. discloses a filter for a dishwasher appliance thatincludes a filter medium, a body extending along an axial direction ofthe filter, and a cap positioned at a first end of the body along theaxial direction of the filter. The filter medium is configured to filterdebris and other particles from wash fluid from the wash chamber of thedishwasher appliance and is attached to or formed integrally with thebody of the filter. Additionally, the cap is configured to allow a flowof wash liquid from the wash chamber of the dishwasher appliance to thefilter medium and may be formed integrally with the body of the filterusing an additive manufacturing process. FIGS. 15 and 16 and paragraph59 of Thiyagarajan et al. indicate that the filter openings aremacroscopic (0.08 of an inch). This is not suitable to remove some ofthe contaminants encountered by filters and/or breathers used in earthmoving, construction and mining industries and the like (see above for amore expansive list of industries that use filters and/or breathers).

Similarly, U.S. Pat. Application Publication No. 2016/0287605 A1 toMiller et al. discloses a dishwasher appliance that includes a sumpassembly with a unitary filter for filtering wash fluid supplied to awash chamber of the dishwasher appliance. The unitary filter defines acentral axis. The unitary filter also has a filter medium with an innersurface that defines an interior chamber of the filter medium. Across-sectional area of the interior chamber in a plane that isperpendicular to the central axis changes along a length of the centralaxis. A related method for forming a unitary filter for a dishwasherappliance is also provided. In paragraph 33 of Miller et al., the poresize of the filter medium is said to range from 0.003 of an inch to0.025 of an inch. However, the exact method of creating such a smallpore size is not described in enabling detail.

In addition, these prior art references do not described in enablingdetail how to maximize the throughput of the fluid filtered by filtermedia manufactured using additive manufacturing.

SUMMARY

A filter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure isprovided. The filter may comprise a housing defining a Cartesiancoordinate system including an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis; and afilter medium including a plurality of layers of solidified material. Atleast one of the plurality of layers of solidified material may includean undulating strip of solidified material extending in a firstpredetermined direction forming a first angle with the X-axis.

A filter medium according to an embodiment of the present disclosure isprovided. The filter medium may define a Cartesian coordinate systemincluding an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis, and may comprise a firstsegment including a first plurality of layers, wherein at least onelayer of the first plurality of layers includes an undulating strip ofsolidified material extending in a first predetermined direction forminga first angle with the X-axis; and a second segment including a secondplurality of layers, wherein at least one layer of the second pluralityof layers includes an undulating strip of solidified material extendingin a different predetermined direction than the first predetermineddirection, forming a second angle with the X-axis that is different thanfirst angle.

A method for manufacturing a filter medium according to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure is provided. The method may include providing acomputer-readable three-dimensional model of the filter medium includinga plurality of segments, each segment of the three-dimensional modelbeing configured to be converted into a plurality of slices that eachdefine a cross-sectional layer of the filter medium, each segmentincluding an undulating layer extending along a predetermined directionthat is different than the predetermined direction of the undulatinglayer of the other segment; and successively forming each layer of thefilter medium by additive manufacturing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of thedisclosure and together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the disclosure. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a filter with a filter mediummanufactured using 3D printing or other additive manufacturingtechnology according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.The top portion of the filter is removed to show the inner workings ofthe filter. More specifically, the filter is shown being as it is beingbuilt via an additive manufacturing process.

FIG. 2 is a is a perspective view of a filter with filter mediamanufactured using 3D printing or other additive manufacturingtechnology according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure,similar to that of FIG. 1 except that a plurality of filter media areprovided having different sized pores.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the filter medium of FIG. 1,illustrating that the filter medium is formed by forming layers ofundulating strips of material that undulate in an alternating directionfrom one layer (X direction) to the adjacent layer (Y direction) alongthe Z direction.

FIG. 4 is a rear oriented perspective view of the filter of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a filter medium according to anotherembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a filter assembly according to a third embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a perspective sectional view of the filter assembly of FIG. 6,showing a filtration medium according to yet another embodiment of thepresent disclosure, depicting the fluid flow through the filter.

FIG. 8 shows the filter assembly of FIG. 7 in a dry state as it is beingbuilt using an additive manufacturing process, more clearly showing theporosity of the filter medium.

FIG. 9 shows a front sectional view of the filter assembly of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is enlarged detail view of a portion of the filter assembly ofFIG. 8, illustrating that the housing and the filter medium may both bemade using additive manufacturing.

FIG. 11 is a perspective sectional view of the filter medium of FIG. 8,showing more clearly that the filter medium has a generally cylindricalannular configuration.

FIG. 12 is a front view of the filter medium of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a top sectional view of the filter assembly of FIG. 8.

FIG. 14 is a top sectional view of the filter assembly of FIG. 8

FIG. 15 is a schematic depicting a method and representing a system forgenerating a three-dimensional model of the filter and/or filter mediumaccording to any embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a method of creating a filter and/ora filter medium according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 17 is a photo of a filter medium illustrating the drooping or otherdeformation of the layers to reduce the size of the pores.

FIG. 18 illustrates the process using a CAD package to create a STL file(created using a single solid model file) and then converting the STLfile to a plurality of layers using 3D printing software.

FIG. 19 is a top view of a filter medium according to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure that angles the plurality layers of the filtermedium at a single angle.

FIG. 20 is an enlarged detail view of the filter medium of FIG. 19showing the orientations of the layers of the filter medium at thesingle angle.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a filter medium having an annularconfiguration with a plurality of layers all oriented as the same singleangle.

FIG. 22 is an enlarged detail view of the filter medium of FIG. 21illustrating how the interior portion of the filter medium has a limitednumber of openings into the interior aperture of the filter medium sincethe plurality of layers are oriented at the same angle.

FIG. 23 is an enlarged detail view of the filter medium of FIG. 21illustrating how the faceted exterior of the filter medium has a limitednumber of openings extending from the faceted exterior of the filtermedium or that the flow paths are restricted since the plurality oflayers are oriented at the same angle, resulting in flow paths that arenot orthogonal to the faceted exterior of the filter medium.

FIG. 24 illustrates how a plurality of solid files (for example, tenindividual segments) may be created, converted into STL files, and thenimported into 3D printing software to create a plurality of sections ofa filter medium having different angles along which the plurality oflayers for each segment extend.

FIG. 25 shows all ten segments imported into the 3D printing softwarewith different infill angle and print settings.

FIG. 26 is a top view of a filter produced via additive manufacturinghaving a filter medium with a single infill angle.

FIG. 27 is a top view of a filter produced via additive manufacturinghaving a filter medium divided into ten different segments each with adifferent infill angle.

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of the filter media of FIG. 27 removedfrom the filter.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of the filter of FIG. 27.

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of an embodiment of filter media forming acylindrical annular configuration on the exterior and interior of thefilter media.

FIG. 31 is a top view of the filter media of FIG. 30.

FIG. 32 is an enlarged detail view of the filter media of FIG. 30.

FIG. 33 is a flowchart illustrating a method of creating a filter and/ora filter medium according to yet another embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the disclosure,examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whereverpossible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout thedrawings to refer to the same or like parts. In some cases, a referencenumber will be indicated in this specification and the drawings willshow the reference number followed by a letter for example, 100 a, 100 bor by a prime for example, 100′, 100″ etc. It is to be understood thatthe use of letters or primes immediately after a reference numberindicates that these features are similarly shaped and have similarfunction as is often the case when geometry is mirrored about a plane ofsymmetry. For ease of explanation in this specification, letters andprimes will often not be included herein but may be shown in thedrawings to indicate duplications of features, having similar oridentical function or geometry, discussed within this writtenspecification.

Various embodiments of a filter and/or filter medium will be discussedherein that utilize existing additive manufacturing technologies toimplement a method to produce a repeatable process that generates porousfiltration media of a useable efficiency grade. Examples of the processinclude FFF, FDM, SLA, etc., 3D printing hardware, and specific controlof the movement patterns of the printing head so that as the material isadded to the part, small gaps are created to build a porous structure.This method utilize an open source software that generates thefiltration structure based on the inputs given to it by the user. Themethod may vary the speed and path of the print head, the flow rate ofthe plastic being deposited, cooling methods, etc. The structure that islaid down may droop or otherwise deform so that small sized pores arecreated.

For example, the material may drip from one layer to the next layer,creating a seal with the next layer. Thus creating two (or more) poresand finer porosity in the media. Deformation (e.g. dripping, drooping,etc.) may occur from the heat retained from the hot nozzle in the newestcreated layer and gravity. As a result, the previous laid layer may beattached to the new layer. The dripping layer that is perpendicular/notparallel to two parallel layers separated by a suitable distance maydeform until it contacts the adjacent layer, creating two (or more)smaller pores on each side. In effect, this may create finer pore sizesfor finer filtration. The desirable deformation may include adjustingthe temperature control, control of layer height, extrusion width,infill pattern, etc. FIG. 17 illustrates how a dimension 134 that isminimized can be created in this manner.

A single layer of filtration media's debris holding capacity istypically limited by the number of flow passages through the media. Asfluid passes through the media, debris larger than the passages will notbe able to flow through the media and ultimately block the flow passageor become lodged in the media. To increase the capacity of a filter,media can also be layered and/or staggered so that larger debris can bestopped at a different depth than smaller debris. This results in anincrease in media debris holding capacity. The prototypical media has ahomogenous pore structure. This limits the capacity of the media becausemost of the debris stopped by the filter will happen near the surfacewhich the contaminated fluid initially flows through.

In various embodiments of the filter media disclosed herein, a gradientwithin a stage of media and/or several staged media packs fabricatedthrough additive manufacturing techniques may be provided. The mediapack can consist of discrete media packs developed and synthesized fromunique combinations of input settings in the additive manufacturingprocess. These settings selectively control the geometry of each stagein the media pack. Fabricating discrete and unique media packs in stagesallows for the entire media pack to act as one continuous filteringelement despite allowing for multiple stages of filtration as would bedone using a filter in filter configuration or having multiple filtersin series in a system. Unlike a filter in conventional filter design,adding additional stages does not necessarily result in a significantincrease in part complexity and cost.

As a result, the contaminated flow will pass through each stageundergoing a different form of filtration to achieve a certainefficiency level. Ins some embodiments, the height of a layer is heldconstant with respect to that layer and is defined at a fixed distancefrom the layer that was just added to the part (printing at differentlayer heights at different heights of a printed part is something thatis done to reduce print time.)

In some embodiments, a method varies the height of the layer as it isprinted to create a single layer which is thicker in one area andthinner in another. The change in layer height with respect to depth inthe media pack may result in a taper which creates a smaller pore sizeas the flow progresses downstream. This may increase the efficiency withrespect to depth and prevents larger particles from passing further thanan appropriate depth specific to that particle size. This may allow forbetter utilization of the volume occupied by the media pack and mayincrease the debris holding capacity. The tapers can also be nested, tofurther increase utilization of the media pack volume. The tapers whichare nested, can either be the same dimensions so that it can function asa filter, or the tapers can have progressively smaller specificationsthat can increase the efficiency with respect to the stage within themedia pack.

Filters and/or filter media discussed herein may be used to removecontaminants in any type of fluid, including hydraulic fluid, oil, fuel,etc. and may be used in any industry including earth moving,construction and mining, etc. As used herein, the term “filter” is to beinterpreted to include “breathers” or any device used to removecontaminants from fluids as described anywhere herein. Also, anysuitable industry as previously described herein that uses filtersand/or breathers may use any of the embodiments discussed herein.

Focusing on FIGS. 1 thru 4, a filter according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure will be described. It should be noted that the topportion of the filter in FIGS. 1 thru 4 has been removed to show theinner workings of the filter. Even though the top portion is removed, itis to be understood that that the filter would include such a topportion and would form an enclosure in practice. Other components of thefilter not specifically shown but is understood to be present includeend caps, a center tube, a top plate, etc. The center tube may beomitted in some embodiments because the filter may have more structuralintegrity since the filter may be manufactured with the filter media.

The filter 100 may comprise a body 102 including an outer wall 104defining a hollow interior 106. As shown, the outer wall 104 has arectangular shape (or other polygonal shape). This may not be the casein other embodiments. For example, see FIG. 6. Other configurations suchas cylindrical are possible for the outer wall 104. Referring again toFIGS. 1 thru 4, an inlet 108 is in fluid communication with the hollowinterior 106. Also, an outlet 110 is in fluid communication with thehollow interior 106. A first filter medium 112 is disposed in the hollowinterior 106 comprising a plurality of layers 114, 114′, etc. As bestseen in FIG. 3, each layer 114, 114′, etc. includes an undulating strip116 of solidified material, forming a plurality of pores 117, 117′, etc.between each of the plurality of layers 114, 114′.

Looking at FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the hollow interior 106 includes arectangular cubic chamber 118 in fluid communication with the inlet 108and the outlet 110. The first filter medium 112 is disposed in therectangular cubic chamber 118 between the inlet 108 and the outlet 110.Consequently, fluid that is to be filtered enters through the inlet 108,passes through the first filter medium 112, and out the outlet 110. Itshould be noted that the inlet 108 and outlet 110 can be switched asillustrated by the contrasting fluid flow arrows 120 in FIG. 1 versusthe fluid flow arrows 120′ in FIG. 2. The hollow interior 106 may haveother shapes other than rectangular cubic such as shown in FIG. 7.

Referring to FIG. 2, the body 102 may include a bottom wall 122 and asidewall 124. The inlet 108 may extend through the bottom wall 122 andthe outlet 110 may extend through the sidewall 124. In FIGS. 1, 2 and 4,the body 102 defines a plurality of parallel support ribs 126 disposedin the outlet 110 or inlet 108 that extends through the sidewall 124.The function of these support ribs 126 is to support the structure ofthe body 102 as it is being built via an additive manufacturing process,while being able to allow fluid flow through the orifice (e.g. inlet 108or outlet 110) in the sidewall 124 with little resistance. That is tosay, the ribs 126 are oriented in the desired flow direction 120, 120′.

Similarly, the body 102 further defines a plurality of auxiliary voids128 that are not in fluid communication with the rectangular cubicchamber 118. The body 102 includes support structure 130 disposed in theplurality of auxiliary voids 128. The purpose of the auxiliary voids 128is to speed up the manufacturing process when being built via anadditive manufacturing process while the support structure 130, whichmay take the form of a lattice of interconnecting ribs, provides forstructural rigidity and strength.

The body 102 may be seamless and the first filter medium 112 may be anintegral part of the body 102 or may be a separate component from thebody 102, being inserted later into the body 102. As best seen in FIG.5, the first filter medium 112 may define a plurality of pores 117 thatdefine a minimum dimension 134 that is between 50 μm to 200 μm. Inparticular embodiments, the minimum dimension 134 of the plurality ofpores 117 may range from 70 μm to 170 μm. These various configurations,spatial relationships, and dimensions may be varied as needed or desiredto be different than what has been specifically shown and described inother embodiments. For example, the pore size may be as big as desiredor may be as small as desired (e.g. 4 microns, in FIG. 5 h_(a)>>h_(b)).

Looking at FIGS. 2 and 4, the filter 100 may further comprise a secondfilter medium 132 disposed immediately adjacent the first filter medium112 and the outlet 110. That is to say, the fluid to be filtered flowsthrough the inlet 108, through the first filter medium 112, then throughthe second filter medium 132, and then out through the outlet 110. Insome embodiments, as best understood with reference to FIG. 5, the firstfilter medium 112 defines a plurality of pores 117, 117′ having a firstminimum dimension 134 and the second filter medium 132 defines aplurality of pores 117, 117′ having a second minimum dimension 134′. Thefirst minimum dimension 134 may be greater than the second minimumdimension 134′.

As a result, a plurality of filtering stages may be provided, so thatlarger sized contaminants are filtered out in the first stage by thefirst filter medium 112, finer contaminants are filtered out in thesecond stage by the second filter medium 132, etc. As many filteringstates as needed or desired may be provided in various embodiments (upto and including the n^(th) stage). In other embodiments, the firstfilter medium 112 may be configured to remove water, the second filtermedium 134 may be configured to remove debris, etc. In some embodiments,the first filter medium 112 and the second filter medium 132 areseparate components that may be inserted into the body 102. In such acase, the body 102 of the filter 100 is separate from the first filtermedium 112 and the second filter medium 132. In other embodiments, thefirst filter medium 112 and the second filter medium 132 are integralwith the body 102 and each other, being built up at the same time as thebody 102 via an additive manufacturing process.

Focusing now on FIGS. 6 thru 14, a filter 200 according to anotherembodiment of the present disclosure (e.g. a canister style filter) willbe described. The filter 200 may comprise a housing 202 including anouter wall 204 and an inner wall 206. The outer wall 204 and the innerwall 206 define the same longitudinal axis 208. The inner wall 206 mayhave a cylindrical configuration and may define a radial direction 210that passes through the longitudinal axis 208 and that is perpendicularthereto, and a circumferential direction 212 that is tangential to theradial direction 210 and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 208. Theinner wall 206 is spaced radially away from the outer wall 204, thehousing 202 further defining a first end 214 and a second end 216disposed along the longitudinal axis 208 and a hollow interior 218.These various configurations and spatial relationships may differ inother embodiments.

As best seen in FIGS. 7 thru 10, an inlet 220 is in fluid communicationwith the hollow interior 218 and an outlet 222 is in fluid communicationwith the hollow interior 218. A filter medium 224 is disposed in thehollow interior 218 comprising a plurality of layers 226, 226′, etc.Each layer 226 may include an undulating strip 228, 228′, etc. ofsolidified material. The filter medium 224 includes an annular shapedefining an outer annular region 230 and an inner annular region 232.

The hollow interior 218 includes an outer annular chamber 234 that is influid communication with the inlet 220 and the outer annular region 230of the filter medium 224 and a central cylindrical void 237 concentricabout the longitudinal axis 208 that is in fluid communication with theoutlet 222 and the inner annular region 232 of the filter medium 224.This establishes the flow of the fluid to be filtered shown by arrows236 in FIGS. 6 and 7. This direction of flow may be reversed in otherembodiments.

The inner wall 206 may define the outlet 222 and may include internalthreads 238 or other types of mating interfaces. The housing 202 definesa top surface 240 and the inlet 220 is a first cylindrical hole 242extending from the top surface 240 to outer annular chamber 234 and theoutlet 222 extends from the top surface 240 to the central cylindricalvoid 237. As shown in FIGS. 7 thru 9, a plurality of identicallyconfigured inlets 220 may be provided, arranged in a circular arrayabout the longitudinal axis 208. Similarly, a plurality of outlets maybe provided in various embodiments. The number and placement of theinlets and outlets may be varied as needed or desired in variousembodiments.

In some embodiments, the housing 202 is seamless and the filter medium224 is integral with the housing 202. For example, the filter medium 224may be built at the same time as the housing 202 via an additivemanufacturing process. In other embodiments, the filter medium 224 maybe a separate component inserted into the housing. A plurality ofdifferent filter media may be provided in a concentric manner asdescribed earlier herein to provide multi-staged filtering if desired.The filter medium 224 defines a plurality of pores 117 (not clearlyshown in FIGS. 7 thru 14 but is to be understood to have the samestructure shown in FIG. 3 or 5) that define a minimum dimension 134 thatis less than 200 μm. As previously mentioned herein, the size of thepores may be any suitable size.

Focusing on FIGS. 8 thru 12, the filter medium 224 comprises a capportion and a bottom portion. The cap portion 246 including a firstplurality of layers 250, 250′ etc. of solidified material including afirst layer 250 with a first undulating strip 252 of solidified materialextending in the first predetermined direction 254 and a second layer250′ with a second undulating strip 252′ of solidified materialextending in a second predetermined direction 256. The first layer 250is in contact with the second layer 250′ and the first predetermineddirection 254 is not parallel with the second predetermined direction256.

Similarly, the bottom portion 248 includes a second plurality of layers258, 258′ of solidified material including a third layer 258 with athird undulating strip 260 of solidified material extending in the thirdpredetermined direction 262 and a fourth layer 258′ with a fourthundulating strip 260′ of solidified material extending in a fourthpredetermined direction 264. The third layer 258 is in contact with thefourth layer 258′ and the third predetermined direction 262 is notparallel with the fourth predetermined direction 264.

As best seen in FIG. 10, the undulations of the cap portion 246 and theundulations of the bottom portion 248 are out of phase with each other.The cap portion 246 and the bottom portion 248 may represent the first3-5 layers of a print. The number of solid layers at the bottom and atthe top are controlled by the print settings. They may provideadditional structural support to the print and seal off the “infill”from the layers of exposed plastic. In some embodiments, multiple mediamay be stacked vertically to create “out of phase” undulations that canmanipulate and change the flow paths of the fluids running through eachsection of the out of phase media packs. For example, more restrictivechannels may be provided at the top or bottom portions while the middleportion may have more open channels depending on the preferences for aparticular filtration application.

FIG. 14 shows that the filter 200 may include auxiliary voids 266 withsupport structure 268 disposed therein to speed up the manufacturingprocess when using an additive manufacturing process while maintainingthe structural integrity of the filter 200.

A filter 300 according to yet another embodiment of the presentdisclosure may be generally described as follows with reference to FIGS.1 thru 14. The filter 300 may comprise a housing 302 and a filter medium304 including a plurality of layers 306, 306′, etc. of solidifiedmaterial. At least one of the plurality of layers 306, 306′ ofsolidified material includes an undulating strip 308 of solidifiedmaterial extending in a first predetermined direction 310. Looking atFIG. 3, the undulating strip 308 of material may be arranged in atrapezoidal pattern. That is to say, two legs 312 of the strip 308 maybe angled relative to each other to form a pore 314 with a reduced sizeas the fluid passes through the pore 314. In FIG. 3, this reduction insize occurs in the X-Y plane. In FIG. 5, this reduction also occurs inthe Y-Z plane. Put another way, the trapezoidal pattern at leastpartially defines a plurality of pores 314, 314′, each of the pluralityof pores 314, 314′ including a pore dimension 318 that decreases in sizealong the second predetermined direction 316.

Focusing on FIG. 3, the plurality of layers 306, 306′ etc. of solidifiedmaterial includes a first layer 306 with a first undulating strip 308 ofsolidified material extending in the first predetermined direction 310and a second layer 308′ with a second undulating strip 308′ ofsolidified material extending in a second predetermined direction 316.The undulations of any strip of solid material for any embodimentdescribed herein may have any suitable shape including zig-zag, square,trapezoidal, sinusoidal, polynomial, etc.

The first layer 306 is in contact with the second layer 306′ and thefirst predetermined direction 310 is not parallel with the secondpredetermined direction 316. This arrangement helps to form the pores314, 314′. The first predetermined direction 310 may be perpendicular tothe second predetermined direction 316. As shown in FIG. 3, the firstundulating strip 308 of solidified material is arranged in a trapezoidalpattern and the second undulating strip 308′ of solidified material isarranged in a square pattern (legs 312′ are parallel to each other).Another shape such as trapezoidal could also be used for strip 308′. Anyof these shapes may be varied as needed or desired in other embodiments.

A filter medium 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosurewill now be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 5 that may be usedas a replacement part. It should also be noted that various embodimentsof a filter medium as described herein may be reused by back flushingcaptured debris or other contaminants from the filter medium. The filtermedium 400 may comprise a plurality of layers 402, 402′, etc. ofsolidified material including a first layer 402 with a first undulatingstrip 404 of solidified material extending in a first predetermineddirection 406, and a second layer 402′ with a second undulating strip404′ of solidified material extending in a second predetermineddirection 408. The first layer 402 is in contact with the second layer402′ and the first predetermined direction 406 is not parallel with thesecond predetermined direction 408, forming a plurality of pores 410,410′ therebetween.

In particular embodiments, the first predetermined direction 406 isperpendicular to the second predetermined direction 408 but notnecessarily so. The first undulating strip 404 of solidified materialhas a trapezoidal pattern and the second undulating strip 404′ ofsolidified material has a square pattern. Other shapes are possible.

As alluded to earlier herein, the trapezoidal pattern at least partiallydefines a plurality of pores 410, 410′, each including a pore dimension412 that decreases in size along the second predetermined direction 408.

In FIG. 3, the filter medium 400 includes a rectangular cubicconfiguration. Other shapes such as annular are possible.

In FIG. 5, the filter medium 400 defines a third predetermined direction414 and the pore dimension 412 decreases in size along the thirdpredetermined direction 414. By way of an example, the firstpredetermined direction may by the X direction, the second direction maybe the Y direction, and the third direction may be the Z direction.

Looking at FIGS. 7 thru 12, another embodiment of a filter medium 500that may be provided as a replacement part can be described as follows.The filter medium 500 may comprise a plurality of layers 502, 502′,etc., each including an undulating strip 504, 504′ etc. of solidifiedmaterial. The filter medium 500 may include an annular shape defining anouter annular region 506 and an inner annular region 508. The pluralityof layers 502, 502′, etc. contact each other define a plurality of pores510 therebetween.

The filter medium 500 may further comprise a cap portion 512 and abottom portion 514 with the attributes and options described earlierherein. The cap portion 512 may include a first plurality of layers 516,516′, etc. of solidified material including a first layer 516 with afirst undulating strip 518 of solidified material extending in the firstpredetermined direction 520 and a second layer 516′ with a secondundulating strip 518′ of solidified material extending in a secondpredetermined direction 522. The first layer 516 is in contact with thesecond layer 516′ and the first predetermined direction 520 is notparallel with the second predetermined direction 522.

The bottom portion 514 includes a second plurality of layers 524, 524′,etc. of solidified material including a third layer 524 with a thirdundulating strip 526 of solidified material extending in the thirdpredetermined direction 528 and a fourth layer 524′ with a fourthundulating strip 526′ of solidified material extending in a fourthpredetermined direction 530. The third layer 524 is in contact with thefourth layer 524′ and the third predetermined direction 528 is notparallel with the fourth predetermined direction 530.

Again, as alluded to earlier herein, the undulations of the cap portion512 and the undulations of the bottom portion 514 are out of phase witheach other. As alluded to earlier herein, the “out of phase” undulationsmay provide an opportunity to have different porosity and filtering indifferent directions and sections of the media.

As also mentioned earlier herein, the manner in which the flow passagesand pores are configured or manufactured may affect the effectivethroughput of any fluid being filtered through the filter or filtermedium. Accordingly, various embodiments and methods that disclose howthe effective throughput of any fluid being filtered may be altered willnow be described with reference to FIGS. 18 thru 32. It is to beunderstood that any of the features of the embodiments of FIGS. 18 thru32 may be swapped with those of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 thru 17 orvice versa to yield further embodiments of the present disclosure.

Printing filtration media packs via a 3D printer requires specificsettings in order to achieve the desired porosity. Issues may arise whentrying to print filtration using a single imported STL file with one setof print setting instructions. For example, the setting ‘Infill Angle’controls the direction the print head moves relative to the XYcoordinate system of the printer while extruding plastic for the infill(“infill” is also referred to as “support structure” elsewhere herein)of the part. A single Infill Angle may create problems when printing oneentire geometry as will now be explained with reference to FIGS. 18 thru23.

Looking at FIG. 18, a CAD model 700 (e.g. a STL file created in CREO) istypically imported into a 3D printing software (e.g. Slic3r software).Then, the CAD model is processed by the 3D printing software persettings inputted by the user (see arrow 702) to create a Geometry 704that is “sliced” into a plurality of layers that the print head of the3D printer may lay down to create the desired Geometry 704. Thesesettings may include Infill Angle, Infill Density, no shells, etc.

Turning now to FIGS. 19 and 20, an embodiment of a filter medium 800where the print head of the 3D printer may print the entire media packfollowing a 45 degree infill angle setting (can be varied) as it worksits way up in the vertical direction (Z-axis) is shown. Put another way,a filter medium 800 or the 3D printer may define a Cartesian coordinatesystem including an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis as the filter medium800 is being manufactured by the 3D printer or other additivemanufacturing process. The filter medium 800 may comprise a plurality oflayers of solidified material. At least one 802 of the plurality oflayers of solidified material may include an undulating strip 804 ofsolidified material extending in a first predetermined direction 806forming a first angle 808 with the X-axis. This first angle 808 may bean Infill Angle or may be created in another manner. The first angle 808may range from 10 degrees to 80 degrees in various embodiments, or maybe 45 degrees in certain embodiments such as shown in FIGS. 19 thru 23.

Referring now to FIGS. 21 thru 23, the filter medium 800 may include acylindrical interior aperture 810 and a faceted exterior 812. As shownin FIG. 22, using a single angle may fully seal up the cylindricalinterior aperture 810 of the media or restrict the flow in or out of thecylindrical interior aperture 810. As also shown in FIG. 23, the facesof the faceted exterior 812 of the media may become fully or partiallysealed if the angle does not correspond to the angle orthogonal/normalto the faces of the faceted exterior 812 of the media pack. This maycause undesired restriction, reduction of flow across the media pack, orcompletely sealing the face. In other embodiments, the interior aperturemay be faceted and the exterior may be cylindrical, etc.

As illustrated in FIGS. 24 thru 32, the geometry of a filter medium 800may be split into discrete segments 814 with unique settings used by the3D printer to manufacture each segment. Depending on how many segmentsthe media pack is split into, the appropriate infill angle may bechosen. As best seen in FIG. 27, the filter medium 800 may include anannular configuration and may be split into a plurality of segments 814including a first segment 814′ that includes at least one 802 of theplurality of layers of solidified material defining the first angle 808with the X-axis. The filter medium 800 may further include a secondsegment 814″ including another 816 of the plurality of layers ofsolidified material including an undulating strip 818 of solidifiedmaterial extending in a different predetermined direction 820 than thefirst predetermined direction 806, forming a second angle 822 with theX-axis that is different than the first angle 808. The first and secondangles 808, 822 may be orthogonal to the faceted exterior 812,maximizing the throughput of a fluid filtered by the media pack.

Printing with an Infill Angle that is orthogonal/normal to the faces mayor may not be desired in various embodiments of the present disclosure.In some embodiments, having an Infill Angle that is orthogonal to thefaces may help to control the flow such that it is all directed towardsthe center of the media pack with the least restriction across the mediapack.

Each segment of the media pack may have varying infill density, layerheight, extrusion, and other print settings. This may allow for morevariety within a media pack. In some embodiments, a media pack of 10segments with 5 segments using a 0.07 mm layer height and 50% infilldensity may be employed while the other 5 segments may use a 0.15 mmlayer height and 60% infill density.

Many configurations are possible in other embodiments including thosehaving other print settings and having other shapes other than annular.When the filter medium 800 includes an annular shape, the filter medium800 may define a circumferential direction C and include a cylindricalinterior 824. The exterior 812 may be a faceted (see FIGS. 19 thru 29)or it may be cylindrical 812′ (see FIGS. 30 thru 32).

Focusing on FIG. 24, instead of one model being imported into the 3Dprinting software, a plurality of individual segments 814 are importedof equal or different size (e.g. ten different segments). The Geometry826 that is pointed out in FIG. 24 is to help make sure that thegeometry is centered correctly on the print bed. Without that Geometry826, the media pack segments may all cluster at the exact center of theprint bed and may not be accurately spaced. It may also allow for morespacing on the interior of the media such that the wall is not sealedwhen the infill pattern is built.

Turning now to FIG. 27, a filter 900 may include a housing 902 defininga Cartesian coordinate system including an X-axis, a Y-axis, and aZ-axis. The first angle 808 may be 18 degrees and the second angle 822may be 54 degrees in certain embodiments such as those where tensegments are employed. More particularly, the filter medium 800 mayinclude a plurality of identically configured segments 814 arrangedcircumferentially adjacent each other, each defining an undulating stripof solidified material extending along a predetermined direction thatforms an angle with the X-axis that is evenly divisible by the quotientof 360 degrees divided by the number of identically configured segments.Thus, the Infill Angle may start at 18 degrees, progress to 54 degrees,then to 90 degrees, etc.

As best seen in FIG. 32, the undulating strip 804 of the first pluralityof layers may include a trapezoidal configuration and the undulatingstrip 818 of the second plurality of layers may include a trapezoidalconfiguration. As already alluded to herein, the filter medium 800 maybe manufactured using the infill settings of a 3D printing software. Allthe undulating layers of all the segments may have a trapezoidalconfiguration in various embodiments including the embodiment shown inFIG. 32.

Any of the dimensions or configurations discussed herein for anyembodiment of a filter medium or filter or associated features may bevaried as needed or desired. Also, the filter medium or filter may bemade from any suitable material that has the desired structural strengthand that is chemically compatible with the fluid to be filtered. Forexample, various plastics may be used including, but not limited to PLA,co-polyesters, ABS, PE, Nylon, PU, etc.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

In practice, a filter medium, or a filter according to any embodimentdescribed herein may be sold, bought, manufactured or otherwise obtainedin an OEM or after-market context.

With reference to FIGS. 15 and 16, the disclosed filter mediums andfilters may be manufactured using conventional techniques such as, forexample, casting or molding. Alternatively, the disclosed filter mediumsand filters may be manufactured using other techniques generallyreferred to as additive manufacturing or additive fabrication.

Known additive manufacturing/fabrication processes include techniquessuch as, for example, 3D printing. 3D printing is a process whereinmaterial may be deposited in successive layers under the control of acomputer. The computer controls additive fabrication equipment todeposit the successive layers according to a three-dimensional model(e.g. a digital file such as an AMF or STL file) that is configured tobe converted into a plurality of slices, for example substantiallytwo-dimensional slices, that each define a cross-sectional layer of thefilter or filter medium in order to manufacture, or fabricate, thefilter or filter medium. In one case, the disclosed filter or filtermedium would be an original component and the 3D printing process wouldbe utilized to manufacture the filter or filter medium. In other cases,the 3D process could be used to replicate an existing filter or filtermedium and the replicated filter or filter medium could be sold asaftermarket parts. These replicated aftermarket filters or filtermediums could be either exact copies of the original filter or filtermediums or pseudo copies differing in only non-critical aspects.

With reference to FIG. 15, the three-dimensional model 1001 used torepresent a filter 100, 200, 300 or a filter medium 400, 500 accordingto any embodiment disclosed herein may be on a computer-readable storagemedium 1002 such as, for example, magnetic storage including floppydisk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; semiconductor storage such as solidstate disk (SSD) or flash memory; optical disc storage; magneto-opticaldisc storage; or any other type of physical memory or non-transitorymedium on which information or data readable by at least one processormay be stored. This storage medium may be used in connection withcommercially available 3D printers 1006 to manufacture, or fabricate,the filter 100, 200, 300 or the filter medium 400, 500. Alternatively,the three-dimensional model may be transmitted electronically to the 3Dprinter 1006 in a streaming fashion without being permanently stored atthe location of the 3D printer 1006. In either case, thethree-dimensional model constitutes a digital representation of thefilter 100, 200, 300 or the filter medium 400, 500 suitable for use inmanufacturing the filter 100, 200, 300 or the filter medium 400, 500.

The three-dimensional model may be formed in a number of known ways. Ingeneral, the three-dimensional model is created by inputting data 1003representing the filter 100, 200, 300, 900 or the filter medium 400,500, 800 to a computer or a processor 1004 such as a cloud-basedsoftware operating system. The data may then be used as athree-dimensional model representing the physical the filter 100, 200,300, 900 or filter medium 400, 500, 800. The three-dimensional model isintended to be suitable for the purposes of manufacturing the filter100, 200, 300 or filter medium 400, 500. In an exemplary embodiment, thethree-dimensional model is suitable for the purpose of manufacturing thefilter 100, 200, 300 or filter medium 400, 500 by an additivemanufacturing technique.

In one embodiment depicted in FIG. 15, the inputting of data may beachieved with a 3D scanner 1005. The method may involve contacting thefilter 100, 200, 300, 900 or the filter medium 400, 500, 800 via acontacting and data receiving device and receiving data from thecontacting in order to generate the three-dimensional model. Forexample, 3D scanner 1005 may be a contact-type scanner. The scanned datamay be imported into a 3D modeling software program to prepare a digitaldata set. In one embodiment, the contacting may occur via directphysical contact using a coordinate measuring machine that measures thephysical structure of the filter 100, 200, 300, 900 or filter medium400, 500, 800 by contacting a probe with the surfaces of the filter 100,200, 300, 900 or the filter medium 400, 500, 800 in order to generate athree-dimensional model.

In other embodiments, the 3D scanner 1005 may be a non-contact typescanner and the method may include directing projected energy (e.g.light or ultrasonic) onto the filter 100, 200, 300 or the filter medium400, 500 to be replicated and receiving the reflected energy. From thisreflected energy, a computer would generate a computer-readablethree-dimensional model for use in manufacturing the filter 100, 200,300, 900 or the filter medium 400, 500, 800. In various embodiments,multiple 2D images can be used to create a three-dimensional model. Forexample, 2D slices of a 3D object can be combined to create thethree-dimensional model. In lieu of a 3D scanner, the inputting of datamay be done using computer-aided design (CAD) software. In this case,the three-dimensional model may be formed by generating a virtual 3Dmodel of the disclosed filter 100, 200, 300, 900 or the filter medium400, 500, 800 using the CAD software. A three-dimensional model would begenerated from the CAD virtual 3D model in order to manufacture thefilter 100, 200, 300, 900 or the filter medium 400, 500, 800.

The additive manufacturing process utilized to create the disclosed thefilter 100, 200, 300, 900 or the filter medium 400, 500, 800 may involvematerials such as described earlier herein. In some embodiments,additional processes may be performed to create a finished product. Suchadditional processes may include, for example, one or more of cleaning,hardening, hydrophilic coating, heat treatment, material removal, andpolishing such as when metal materials are employed. Other processesnecessary to complete a finished product may be performed in addition toor in lieu of these identified processes.

Focusing on FIG. 16, the method 600 for manufacturing a filter or filtermedium according to any embodiment disclosed herein may compriseproviding a computer-readable three-dimensional model of the filter orthe filter medium, the three-dimensional model being configured to beconverted into a plurality of slices that each define a cross-sectionallayer of the filter or filter medium (block 602); and successivelyforming each layer of the filter or filter medium by additivemanufacturing (block 604). Successively forming each layer of the filteror filter medium by additive manufacturing may include building aplurality of layers, wherein at least one of the plurality of layersincludes a first undulating strip of material extending in a firstpredetermined direction (block 606).

Also, the method may comprise forming a second one of the plurality oflayers including a second undulating strip of material extending in asecond predetermined direction that is different than the firstpredetermined direction (block 608). Furthermore, the method maycomprise varying at least one of the following variables to create thedesired pore minimum dimension: the speed and/or path of the print head,the flow rate of the plastic, the type of plastic, rate of cooling ofthe plastic, and the pattern or the configuration of the undulatingmaterial to create layer deformation (block 610). The filter or filtermedium may be built from the bottom toward the top.

FIG. 33 contains a method 1100 for manufacturing a filter medium, themethod 1100 comprising the steps of: providing a computer-readablethree-dimensional model of the filter medium including a plurality ofsegments, each segment of the three-dimensional model being configuredto be converted into a plurality of slices that each define across-sectional layer of the filter medium, each segment including anundulating layer extending along a predetermined direction that isdifferent than the predetermined direction of the undulating layer ofthe other segment (step 1102); and successively forming each layer ofthe filter medium by additive manufacturing (step 1104).

Successively forming each layer of the filter medium by additivemanufacturing may include using the infill settings of a 3D printingsoftware (step 1106). Using the infill settings of a 3D printingsoftware may include setting a different infill angle for each segment(step 1108). In other embodiments, using the infill settings of a 3Dprinting software may include using a different infill density for eachsegment (step 1110).

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made to the embodiments of theapparatus and methods of assembly as discussed herein without departingfrom the scope or spirit of the invention(s). Other embodiments of thisdisclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art fromconsideration of the specification and practice of the variousembodiments disclosed herein. For example, some of the equipment may beconstructed and function differently than what has been described hereinand certain steps of any method may be omitted, performed in an orderthat is different than what has been specifically mentioned or in somecases performed simultaneously or in sub-steps. Furthermore, variationsor modifications to certain aspects or features of various embodimentsmay be made to create further embodiments and features and aspects ofvarious embodiments may be added to or substituted for other features oraspects of other embodiments in order to provide still furtherembodiments.

Accordingly, it is intended that the specification and examples beconsidered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of theinvention(s) being indicated by the following claims and theirequivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A filter comprising: a housing defining aCartesian coordinate system including an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis;and a filter medium including a plurality of layers of solidifiedmaterial; wherein at least one of the plurality of layers of solidifiedmaterial includes an undulating strip of solidified material extendingin a first predetermined direction forming a first angle with theX-axis.
 2. The filter of claim 1 wherein the first angle ranges from 10degrees to 80 degrees.
 3. The filter of claim 1 wherein the plurality oflayers of solidified material includes a first layer with a firstundulating strip of solidified material extending in the firstpredetermined direction and a second layer with a second undulatingstrip of solidified material extending in a second predetermineddirection, and the first layer is in contact with the second layer andthe first predetermined direction is not parallel with the secondpredetermined direction.
 4. The filter of claim 1 wherein the firstangle is 45 degrees.
 5. The filter of claim 1 wherein the filter mediumincludes an annular configuration and is split into a plurality ofsegments including a first segment including the at least one of theplurality of layers of solidified material defining the first angle withthe X-axis, and a second segment including another of the plurality oflayers of solidified material including an undulating strip ofsolidified material extending in a different predetermined directionthan the first predetermined direction, forming a second angle with theX-axis that is different than the first angle.
 6. The filter of claim 5wherein each segment defines a cylindrical interior aperture and afaceted exterior.
 7. A filter medium defining a Cartesian coordinatesystem including an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis, comprising: a firstsegment including a first plurality of layers, wherein at least onelayer of the first plurality of layers includes an undulating strip ofsolidified material extending in a first predetermined direction forminga first angle with the X-axis; and a second segment including a secondplurality of layers, wherein at least one layer of the second pluralityof layers includes an undulating strip of solidified material extendingin a different predetermined direction than the first predetermineddirection, forming a second angle with the X-axis that is different thanfirst angle.
 8. The filter medium of claim 7 wherein the filter mediumincludes an annular shape defining a circumferential direction andincluding a cylindrical interior.
 9. The filter medium of claim 7wherein the first angle is 18 degrees and the second angle is 54degrees.
 10. The filter medium of claim 8 wherein the filter mediumincludes a plurality of identically configured segments arrangedcircumferentially adjacent each other, each defining an undulating stripof solidified material extending along a predetermined direction thatforms an angle with the X-axis that is evenly divisible by the quotientof 360 degrees divided by the number of identically configured segments.11. The filter medium of claim 10 wherein the filter medium includes acylindrical exterior.
 12. The filter medium of claim 7 wherein theundulating strip of the first plurality of layers includes a trapezoidalconfiguration and the undulating strip of the second plurality of layersincludes a trapezoidal configuration.
 13. The filter medium of claim 7wherein the filter medium is manufactured using the infill settings of a3D printing software.
 14. A method of creating a computer-readablethree-dimensional model suitable for use in manufacturing the filtermedium of claim 7, the method comprising: inputting data representingthe filter medium to a computer; and using the data to represent thefilter medium as a three-dimensional model, the three dimensional modelbeing suitable for use in manufacturing the filter medium.
 15. Acomputer-readable three-dimensional model suitable for use inmanufacturing the filter medium of claim
 7. 16. A computer-readablestorage medium having data stored thereon representing athree-dimensional model suitable for use in manufacturing the filtermedium of claim
 7. 17. A method for manufacturing a filter medium, themethod comprising the steps of: providing a computer-readablethree-dimensional model of the filter medium including a plurality ofsegments, each segment of the three-dimensional model being configuredto be converted into a plurality of slices that each define across-sectional layer of the filter medium, each segment including anundulating layer extending along a predetermined direction that isdifferent than the predetermined direction of the undulating layer ofthe other segment; and successively forming each layer of the filtermedium by additive manufacturing.
 18. The method of claim 17 whereinsuccessively forming each layer of the filter medium by additivemanufacturing includes using the infill settings of a 3D printingsoftware.
 19. The method of claim 18 wherein using the infill settingsof a 3D printing software include setting a different infill angle foreach segment.
 20. The method of claim 18 wherein using the infillsettings of a 3D printing software include using a different infilldensity for each segment.